Andres Guadalupe's Spanish Cartoons and Chennai Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013

Chess and humour do go together. Andrés Guadalupe, a cartoonist and illustrator, has played chess ever since he can remember. He has been a club player as well and has always, always been passionate about chess. The Anand - Carlsen Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 is a special opportunity for him to explore his love for both chess and cartooning. Of course, a cartoonist always sees what mere mortals cannot!

"I've been making cartoons many years ago and not only chess, editorial cartoons, graphic humor in general, illustrations as well. Many subjects,' says Guadalupe, adding, "I'm doing chess cartoons regularly and now eventually doing a serial cartoons about the world chess championship."

"My favorite cartoons always are the last, in this case the ones about the world chess championship."

Guadalupe says, "My favorite player is Mikhail Tal. And finally my subjects apart from chess obviously, are editorial cartoons. My subjects are Everything. The life that surrounds me."

Guadalupe begins with paper first, pencil and ink, then scans and puts in the text and coloring in Photoshop.

He says, what a whole lot of us want to say all the time, "I would like that the chess was as popular as the football and other similar sports."

Don't forget to check out Andrés Guadalupe's great blog 'Ajedrez con humor'. It's in Spanish, but don't you worry, cartooning, like chess is a universal language. Also, don't forget to give Andrés Guadalupe a Like on his FB fanpage. -- Rajat Khanna

Andres Guadalupe will soon be making an exclusive cartoon for us, so stay tuned.

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This Anand vs Carlsen: It's Breaking my Heart... Friends Once, Now One of them has to Kill (Chess Fan Forum)

CHESS FAN FORUM: 

The excitement of the Carlsen versus Anand World Chess Championship has suddenly given way to dread. What happened to the excitement? 

Suddenly, the thought of either Viswanathan Anand or Magnus Carlsen losing is unbearable. It's breaking my heart. 

One is ice, the other is fire. One holds chess traditions aloft and the other brings hope of glorious human achievements even in the face of onslaught by machines. I cannot imagine either losing.

If Anand loses the title, I will spend the night tossing and many painful nights after that as well. If Carlsen loses, the charm of the chess adventure will lose its sparkle... for a while at least. 

Friends once... (Photo: Chessvibes

Is that because I belong neither to Norway or India? Would it be easier otherwise? Did chess fans ever find it so difficult to take sides? But this could not be about nationalities, or cold wars, or even about like-ability and definitely this cannot be just about comparing Anand and Carlsen's chess talent. So, whom do you support? How do you choose? There are no blacks and whites between Anand and Carlsen, just both in the same shades of grey.

The online polls (on this site and around the world) consistently peg Carlsen as the would-be winner. The only time Anand led in the poll was when Carlsen drew his games with Hikaru Nakamura at the Sinquefield Chess Cup. The poll curve bounced right back in Carlsen's favour once the World No. 1 wrapped off the title win in Saint Louis. Some Grandmasters do feel Anand could win, but this number is pretty small.   

... and now, one of them has to kill

Suddenly, everything feels so sadistic... like gladiators in violent confrontations entertaining a Roman audience?

My friends tell me it's no big deal. This happens in sports all the time. Someone has to win, someone has to lose. They wouldn't know. This is not sport. This is chess. 

Some say, Anand had his chances. He became a draw-ts world champion, so it should be Carlsen. Some say, Carlsen knows no opening theory, he trivialises chess, so Anand should retain the title. Some say Carlsen will save chess from dying. Others say, Anand should win one more time...   

Anand and Carlsen are friendly with each other. In this rivalry, they have come even closer... and, it's breaking my heart. 




It's sadistic. Like Orson Scott Card in Ender's Game:

In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.And then, in that very moment when i love them... I destroy them...

Or, maybe it is not sadistic...

Like a Wiki description would say: Irrespective of their origin, gladiators offered spectators an example of Rome's martial ethics and, in fighting or dying well, they could inspire admiration and popular acclaim. 

Salute to two of the finest chess gladiators of our times - Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen. In fighting or losing well, they will both inspire chess lovers' admiration for all time to come.

- A Chess Fan

(Send us your take as a chess fan on the Carlsen versus Anand World Chess Championship 2013 to editor@blackandwhiteindia.com. You could send us cartoons, videos, or write-up, or even images. Don't forget to mention what link you want to add with your name whether it's your twitter account, FB page or even your email id.) 


P.S. Lyrics Breaking my Heart

I'm on the floor
Counting one minute more
Noone to break the silence

Staring into the night
All alone but that's alright
It's the feeling deep inside I don't like

Chorus:
There is no excuse my friend
For breaking my heart
Breaking my heart again
This is where our journey ends
Your breaking my heart again

Here in my bed
Counting the words you've said
They linger in the shadows

Coming home late at night
Drunk again but that's alright
It's the look in your eyes I don't like

Chorus:
There is no excuse my friend
For breaking my heart
Breaking my heart again...

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